I think it would be really interesting to see Maddux as a Pitching Coach. He seems to have that something that good coaches need. You always hear pitchers after they've left or while they still pitch with him talking about how he's helped him with this or with that.

On a side note I think that Manny could be a good hitting coach. He is rather "interesting", but his teammates for the most part tend to like him as a person and of course we all know he can hit. The main thing would be if he was able to pass that on to other hitters.

I think Maddux would make a fine pitching coach but the idea of being a pitching coach while he's an active pitcher sounds pretty stupid to me. I am sure there is a lot more to being a coach than just teaching pitchers on your off days. He (or anyone) would be stretched too thin IMO and both areas would suffer for it.

Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey

Amazinz wrote:I think Maddux would make a fine pitching coach but the idea of being a pitching coach while he's an active pitcher sounds pretty stupid to me. I am sure there is a lot more to being a coach than just teaching pitchers on your off days. He (or anyone) would be stretched too thin IMO and both areas would suffer for it.

Yeah I honestly don't know how it would work. As a pitcher, you need to be prepared for the days you pitch since you only have 30-35 games per season. This means working on your mechanics and studying your game plan during the off days not including routine workout. I think pitchers have a lot more time to spare but still, has there ever been a pitcher/coach in MLB?

"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." ~George Carlin

Nerfherders wrote:Coaching is an interesting thing. You don't see many HoF players become coaches because alot of their success is attributed to natural, innate ability. They don't think, they just play. So if you're not thinking about how to throw a pitch, it's hard to teach it to someone else. Pedro or Vlad would be terrible coaches because all of their ability is innate. David Eckstein would make a great hitting coach because he had to learn and learn and learn how to hit.

I read a very long an interesting article about Leo Mazzone, and one thing he said that struck me was that he doesn't teach how to get guys out. He only teaches how to pitch. Getting guys out is up to the pitcher and the catcher.

I think that Maddux would make a decent pitching coach (not a great one), but honestly I don't think he would do it. He never struck me as someone who would want to hang around the game past his playing days.

I agree, I think that the reason that a lot of big name players don't become coaches is because they rely so much on their talent that it is hard for them to convey how they do what they do, they just do it. There are some guys like Gwynn, Boggs, and Maddux who would do it well because they are so passionate about their crafts and know absolutely everything there is to know.

Nerfherders wrote:Coaching is an interesting thing. You don't see many HoF players become coaches because alot of their success is attributed to natural, innate ability. They don't think, they just play. So if you're not thinking about how to throw a pitch, it's hard to teach it to someone else. Pedro or Vlad would be terrible coaches because all of their ability is innate.

I think Maddux is different though. He does not rely on overpowering the batter. With him, it is simply location, location, location. That, and knowing how to pitch off course. If he were a coach, I would think that he would be in a Mazzone mode. Pitch on both sides of the plate and change speeds. Doing that is not natural ability, but rather knowing the strike zone and how to keep hitters off balance.